No Refund Theatre Presents ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’

“Peter Pan,” is one of the best and most well-known children’s tales, but how exactly did Peter get to the island of Neverland in the first place? Penn State’s No Refund Theatre tackles that question with its rendition of the best-selling novel Peter and the Starcatcher.

NRT and the Student Programming Association LateNight joined together  to present “Peter and the Starcatcher” in the HUB-Robeson Center’s Flex Theater at 9 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday. Admission–as always–is free.

The story tells the tale of an orphan child called Boy, later nicknamed Peter Pan, who embarks on a sea expedition to a faraway land. But during his journey, a band of pirates and a starcatcher named Molly turn Boy’s world upside down when they bring him on their mission to secure a treasure chest filled with magical “Starstuff.”  The play takes the audience on a fun-filled adventure and tells how Peter Pan became the leader of the Lost Boys.

Penn State senior Abbie Jansen and junior Sarah Chairnoff co-direct the show. Each of the two students have directed one other play before “Peter and the Starcatcher” and they’ve both been working with NRT for years. In fact, you might remember Jansen from NRT’s “Bridge to Terabithia” and Chairnoff from last semester’s production of “Waiting for Godot.”

For Chairnoff, the phenomenon of nostalgia is the center of the story. “I think it’s about remembering your childhood and realizing that even when you get older, you don’t have to be boring,” she said.

The pair enjoys sharing a close connection with the cast, and the playful dynamic of the group makes working together a lot more fun. The directors joked that the only problem with the production is the cast is primarily made up of guys (i.e., the  practices are always pretty silly and smelly).

“Their attitude fits in a lot with the message of the show. They’re rambunctious dudes, so it helps reinforce the idea of not taking yourself too seriously and having fun,” Jansen said.

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